“No, don’t pull on that line!” yelled Rex Moore, as he watched the crew of a natural gas drilling rig struggle to work on a frigid and rainy day in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Despite Moore’s 40 years of gas industry experience and the crew’s efforts, the well proved dry.

The one exception to Wednesday night tavern festivities in the Aiken Brewing Company in downtown Aiken, South Carolina -- where locals gathered to sip locally-made beer and cheer the Atlanta Braves -- was the tavern owner, Rob Pruitt.

“How many of you have been laid off at least once in your career as coal miners?” Robert Murray asks a group of coal mining foreman assembled at the St. Clairsville, Ohio headquarters of Murray Energy. Nearly every hand in the room goes up. The 75-year-old is CEO and president of Murray Energy, one of America’s largest coal companies.